Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, February 19, 1917, Image 1

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    The Omaha Daily Bee
Want-ad Service
Night or Day
Tyler 1000.
THE WEATHER
Snow
VOL. XLVI NO. 210.
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 19, 1917.
Or Trala. at Hntalt,
Nwi SUM!, (to., h.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS?
SUBSEAS KEEP IIP
HIDDEN ATTACKS
ON BRITISH BOATS
Three Steamers, One of Over
Seven Thousand Tons, Sunk
by German Torpedoes in
Blockaded Zone.
TWO ON VALDEZ KILLED
Two Thousand-ton Boat
s Sunk Without Any
Warning.
Is
CAPTAIN AND CREW LAND
SUNDAY'S SUBSEA TOLL.
Tons.
Worcestershire, British 7,175
Valdez, British 2,285
Romsdalen, British 2,548
London, Feb. 18. Lloyds' Shipping
agency today announced that the
British steamship Worcestershire,
77175 tons gross, was reported sunk.
Lloyds also announced that the
British ship Valdez of 2,285 tons
gross, had been torpedoed and sunk
without warning. Two members of
the vessel's crew were killed and nine
are missing. The captain and others
of the crew have been landed.
Later the sinking of the British
steamship Romsdalen of 2,548 tons
gross was announced.
o late movements of the steam
ship Valdez have been recorded in
til e maritime registers.
The vessel was built at Stockton in
1 14 and hailed from Liverpool. It was
255-feet long, forty feet beam and
twenty-four feet deep.
The Worcestershire was on a voy
age from Liverpool to Rangoon, In
dia, and sailed from Suez January 12.
1 1 was 452 feet long and was built in
Hclfast in 1904. Its owners were the
Bibby Steamship company of Liver
pool. The Romsdalen was 300 feet long
and was built at West Hartlepool in
1895.
Twelve Ships Sail.
'ew York, Feb. 18. Twelve steam
ships, one of them flying the Ameri
can Hag, sailed from here today, pre
sumably for European ports, which
will necessitate their passage through
I lie "prohibited zone" announced by
Germany. Three vessels that came
through the restricted area, one of
which was of American registry, ar
rived here.
Two of the steamers departing to
day the British liner Laconia,' for
Liverpool, and the- French liner
Roma, for Marseilles are passenger
ships. Whether there were any
Americans on board either vessel was
not disclosed.
The City of Pueblo' was the lone
American vessel sailing today to
brave the dangers of the submarine
zone. Its captain. John E. Willett,
is a New Yorker and other officers,
thirteen in all, are Americans, while
the crew is composed of Russians,
Norwegians, Japanese, Swedes and
Scotch. The steamship is bound for
Havre, France, with a cargo of mer
chandise. It was cleared by a New
York company.
Spain Has No Desire to
Engage in Active War
Madrid (Via Paris), Feb. ' 18.
Spanish neutrality was the subject of
animated discussion in the Cortes
last pight when several deputies, in
cluding Senors Rodes and Garcia,
questioned the premier. Count de
Ronianoiics, on the attitude of the
government in the war. Deputy
Rodes .demanded an explicit state
ment qpon what the government pro
posed to do.
The premier said that the govern
ment was and had shown its atti
tude very distinctly in the action
taken in connection with several
moves by the United States: first,
the invitation to intervene for the re
establishment of peace, and, another,
an invitation to declare war against
Germany.
Deputy Rodes, interrupting, said
that this declaration was incorrect,
because the United States had never
invited Spain to declare war.
Amid considerable excitement the
premier replied that in reajiry the
United States had invited Spain only
to break off diplomatic relations with
Germany, and added:
"Spain is the friend of all the bel-
ligerents and all neutrals and for
' that very reason it cannot undertake
discussions or negotiations which
woulcThave the effect of injuring our
mcnasnips and our tranquility.
New Mexico's Governor
Is-Dead at Santa Fe
Santa Fe, N. M Feb. 18. Gover
nor fc. C. de Baca died this afternoon
at 4 o'clock of pernicious anaemia.
The Weather
Kor Nebraska 8now ; not mnch change in
Tempt rstnrea at Omaha Yesterday.
. Hour. Decree.
6 a. m
a. m
7 a. m
8 a. m
9 a. m
11
10 a. m.... .
II a. m
12 m
1 p. m
2 p. m
t m
4 p. m
t p. m
6 p. m
7 p. m
23
Comparative Loral Record.
1917. 1918. 1915. 1914
lllffheat yeiterday, . . , 23 43 4& fi
Loweit yesterday ff 30 2ft la
Mean temperature. ., . 16 3t 42 26
Precipitation Do .00 ,H ,00
Temperature and precipitation departures
from the normal at Omaha olni-e March 1.
and compared with the last two years:
Normal temperature 24
Ienlmcy for the day g
Total excess slnco March 1, 1916 15
HSR
SOCIALISTS PLEAD '
FOR PEACEON EARTH
Speakers at Auditorium De
nounce War as an Engine' 1
of Capitalism.
NATIONAL SECRETARY HERE
Urging the people not to be stam
peded into war, as they were in the
civil war, and in the Spanish-American
war, Mrs. Kate Richards O'Hare
of Kansas City made the closing
speech at the Auditorium Sunday aft
ernoon when, under the auspices of
the socialists, some 81X) people gath
ered to hear addresses on peace and
war.
The speakers urged that petitions
be sent to congress against war. Mrs.
O'Hare -brought to the Auditorium
a copy of Hudson's Maxim's book.
"Defenseless America." She declared
she had found it on the table in a
room at the Hotel Fontenelle and that
a copy was on the table in every room
there. She pointed out that Maxim
is the inventor of the Maxim gun and
therefore an interested party. She
charged) that Maxim knew that the
men who wanted war had the power
to control congress and push the na
tion into war.
People Against War.
"But," she said, "cnie of the hopeful
signs of the day is that today 'people
tor the first time in history stand up
and raise their voices against it. Even
the schoolboy knows that war is al
ways a rich man's war and a poor
man's fight. No war has ever been
waged to better the condition of the
working class. The civil war was a
war between manufacturers of the
north and the slaveholders of the
south. In the south they had black
slaves, and the northern manufactur
ers had white women and children for
their slaves in he factories, that is all
the difference. The masters on both
sides got to quarreling about who
should have the profits. v
"And when the war began the very
first thing the confederate assembly
did was to pass a law that the preach
er who had prayed for war, the edi
tor who had advocated war, and the
slaveholder who owned twenty slaves,
need not go to war. Thus the fellow
who had no negroes had to go to
war to fight for tl;e negroes he didn't
have.
Nct to Free Cuba.
"In the Spanish-American war Ve
were taught to believe we were fight
ing to free the people of Cuba. We
fought there to give Cuba to the sugar
trust and we did it."
Mrs. O'Hare said that war cosfher
her sweetheart, who marched away
under the colors, and .died from eat
ing the rotten meat sold the govern
ment by a packer .whose name she
mentioned openly, x
I. J. Dunn of Omaha, made a short
opening address, 'introducing Adolph
Germer of Chicago, national secretary
of the socialists, who presided. Lynn
Thompson, secretary of the Board of
Education of Minneapolis, also spoke
urging the people to sign the peti
tions found lying in the scats in the
Auditorium and 'forwardfthem to the
congressmen and senators.
Petitions Signed.
The petitions which were signed by
many and will be forwarded read as
follows:
Wo, whose nameu Hro hp! below rci'ORnlza
that thu power to preserve the. natlon'n
pears ties with the prplil"iit and coiigrefis,
who are tin servants of tliw' A mrlean peo
ple, and therefore petition them to take
whatever action la neeoxsary to preserve
that peave. An means to this end wo sug
gest the Immediate adoption of the follow
ing program with sueh legal measures as
may be necessary to put It Into effect:
1. Postpone until after the war Is over
the settlement of any question which cannot
bo settled in the meantime by peaceful
means.
2. Keep American citizens off belligerent
'ships,
n. Refuse clearance to ships of the Unlt'd
States and other neutral countries carrying
contraband and passengers on the same ship.
4. Withdraw protection from American
cltiaeTis who jeopardize the nation's peare by
traveling as seamen on American or other
neutral ships carrying contraband.
5. Keep all American vessels out of the
danger zone.
6. Submit the quealion of declaring war,
except In case of actual attempted Invasion,
to a referendum vote of the entlro people,
all ballots to be signed, and. In the event
of the measure receiving a majority of the
popular vote, draft for first service those
whoso votes were cast in favor of the dec
laration. Banking Committee to Hold
, Important Hearing Soon
(Krum a Staff Correspondent.)
Lincoln, Feb. 18. (Special.) Two
very important hearings will be held
before the house committee on bank
ing this week. The first will be on
Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock in rep
resentative hall, when members of the
Nebraska Bankers' association will
consider all bills affecting banks
which are now before the legislature
and in the hands of the committee
on banks and banking, of which Mur
tey sof Cass county is chairman and
Dafoe, Ncilsen, Jacobson, Neff, Erick
Johnson, Good, Lampcrt. and.Stems
are the other members.
The otlierTneeting will be held at
the same place on Wednesday even
ing at 7 o'clock, when officials and
others of the Farmers' union will meet
with the committee to take up bills
dealing with co-operative banks.
Mother Fears Lad May Have
Run Away to Join Army
Mrs. T. E. Anderson, 1811 Corby
street, is prostrate with grief over the
disappearance of her 17-year-old son,
George E. Anderson. ,
Thursday night young Anderson
told his mother he was going to at
tend a picture show. He was last
seen at Twenty'-fourtli and Lake
streets about midnight that evening
in the company of an older boy,
thought to have been Howard Pax
ton, an acquaintance.
Young Anderson is 5 feet 8 inches
high, weighs about 135 pounds, has
brown eyes and light-brown hair. He
wore a blue serge suit and a noveltv
cap and wore a signet ring the nightj
cn nis uisappearancc. ne was em
ployed by the Baker Ice Machine
company.
The mother fears the lad may have
run away in the hope of joining the
army, although he is under age.
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Air
VILLA REPORTED
ON WAYTO JAPAN
Story That Bandit Chief Has
Made Way to Coast and
Gone to Orient.
UPON POLITICAL MISSION
El Paso, Tex., Feb. 18. Francisco
Villa, whose movements have been a
mystery to his enemies as well as to
the mass of his followers, has made
his way to the west, coast and em
barked for Japan, according to W. L.'
Crawford, a well known catlleman of
Dallas, Tex., and a former Texas
ranger, who says his source of infor
mation is one of Villa's most trusted
agents and a man personally known
to him to be reliable.
A report that Villa had gone in dis
guise to the west coast" and taken a
ship for Japan on a political mission
has been known to Carranzaofficers
and officials here and in Juarez for
several days Eduardo Soriano Bravo,
the Mexican consul here, said tonight.
Mrs, Paul Strong for
Medical Inspection
. In Public. Schools
Medical inspection in the schools
is strongly advocated by Mrs. J. N.
Paul of St. Paul, Neb., who will ad
dress the Omaha Woman's club at
Metropolitan clubhouse today. Mrs.
Paul, who is president of the Ne
braska Federation of Women's clubs,
is en route to a conference of Missis
sippi valley state presidents at Min
neapolis. Mrs. A. G. Peterson of
Aurora, former state president, ac
companies her.
"Physicians should be called in to
prevent disease, not to offer remedies.
This is the day of preventive medi
cine. I believe the time is coming
when physicians will be retained by
the year to keep one in perfect con
dition, not to be called in after one
has come down with an illness," said
Mrs. Paul. "Lincoln has already
adopted medical inspection in the
schools to good advantage."
While in.thc city Mrs. Paul has
been the guest of Mrs. Frederick H.
Cole, chairman of civil service reform
for the General Federation of Wom
en's clubs. Mrs. M. D. Cameron, a
state officer, gave a luncheon for Mrs.
Paul Saturday and Mrs. E. M. Syfert,
president of the Omaha Woman's
club, entertained her at dinner.
Mrs. Paul is visiting her son, Colo
nel Paul, who has just returned from
the border.
Repord Prices Being Paid
For Wool Clip of West
Salt Lake City, Feb. 18. Contracts
for nearly 80 per cent of the April
clip of Utah Svool, which is estimated
will amount to 15,000,000 pounds
have been .signed and show prices
ranging from .10 to 38 cents a pound.
The lowest prices were paid for south
ern wool and the higher prices for
northern wool, but as an average they
represent the highest market ever of
fered for woll in Utah.
In turn sheep in Idaho and Wyom
ing with a better grade of wool of
longer fibre, are commanding prices
from 36 to 40 cents a pound and in
some instances 41 cents a pound has
been contracted for.
Ad Club Holds Round-Table
Meeting Monday Evening
Monday night the Ad club will hold
its regular educational round table
meeting at the Commercial club at
6:15. Charles Nolan will address the
assemblage on color harmony, color
plates and halftones and his talk will
be supplemented by W. G. Mcton
ncll, ,who will describe how to use
halftones, color plates and' line illus
trations in good printing.
Oh, Well, That Squares
TiWT
Rejoicing on the Border
El Paso, Tex., Feb. 18. General
rejoicing occurred in all of the -National
Guard camps on this part of
the border tonight, when the war
order for all militia troops to re
turn home became generally
known. Parades were held through
company streets, mock bands or
ganized with dishpans, trumpets
and drums for instruments and the
commanding officers were sere
nadad. .
ARCHBISHOP ASKS
HELP FORCATHEDRAL
,?re-Lenten Pastoral Letter Be
speaks Ob-operation in
Building.
ASKS AID OF PASTORS, TOO
The pre-Lenten pastoral letter is
sued by Archbishop Harty of the dio
cese of Omaha, was read Sunday
morning in all the Catholic churches
of Omaha. In part the letter reads
as follows:
"On my taking possession of the
diocese of Omaha I am impressed
with the architecture, the beauty and
the spaciousness of the new cathe
dral, the mother church of the dio
cese. It is, as you know, incomplete.
I look for your generous co-operatioi
to make this first work of mine among
you worthy of God, of the faith and
of you as a noble people.
"God is so glorious that even a
temple as magnificent as that of Oma
ha looks poor as' a place for his in
dwelling. "The God of Israel, the God from
everlasting to everlasting, just and
without iniquity, delighting in mercy,
full of compassion and grace toull
generations any temple built for
Him must look meagre in the sight
of noble souls.
Do Your Best.
"The nigral of it is, if you are at
your best; and don't be less than your
best; if the finest that you cati give is
poor, take care that you never ac
complish less than your best.
"Ten years' agd the cornerstone of
the cathedral was placed amid im
posing solemnities. The edifice, as
planned, was to be magnificent in
fame and glory. When the late la
mented bishop undertook to carry out
his designs, he and you found on all
sides crippling disabilities. When lie
tried to get the temple out of his heart
and mind and to set it up in stone
he realized that he was poor, yet lie
(Continued on Pago Two, Column Fonr.)
Special War Credits Used
For Carrying on Campaign
Amsterdam, Feb. 18. An explana
tory note respecting the German
budget of 1917 in Berlin today says:
"The necessary means .for carrying
on the war will be raised by special
war credits. The ordinary expenses
of the' state require 3,566,000,000
marks.
"The revenue from hitherto existing
war taxes' is not sufficient and the
deficit of 1,250,000,000 mark will be
covered by a new war tax. It is in
tended to impose an ad valorem tax
on coal on the output at the collieries
and as an extraordinary war tax to
impose a surtax on all internal pas
senger goods traffic. '
' In the extraordinary budget the
amount of 81,000,000 marks will be
voted to the redemption of the debt
by purchase."
With regard to the redemption of
the war loans, this will be decided
after peace is concluded.
Credit for exchequer bills is in'
creased to 3,000,000.000 marks and the
uncovered contributions of the federal
states arc estimated at 52,000,000
marks.
On February 1, the relative's insur
ance fund amounted to 21,000,000
marks.
It
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tjp mi The SHwtt in
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Tiu CNN GET "
f.o.. '
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Demand For Tei .
DIVINES I CXNl
SELL THCH 6ACS
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TnXT Will
'Must a
un of
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"YouR. SERMON ON.
CAM&UN LAST .
SUNDAY WAS YtRV
GOJO AWSPT
.MY CHECK for.'
Thousand
DOUARS."
MORE PATCHING .
FOR OLD CAPITOL
Some Members Do Not Take
Kindly to New Build
ing Plan.
STILL WANT TO TEMPORIZE
(From a 8taff Correnpointotil.)
Lincoln, Febr 18. (Special.) Ne
braska may have to get along several
years longer with a patched up state
house .while the people who have to,
work for the state will continue to
sliivtryaiul shake In the winter and
dodgawnter leaking through the old
roof, fS the summer, while the state
library will continue to stand as a risk
that few insurance companies care to
handle except at a rate that is prac
tically prohibitive.
Some of the members would like to
have the old east wing repaired. They
say that $30,000 will repair it in good
shape so that there is no danger of
the thing falling down. They admit
that this will not alleviate the deplor
able condition which exists in olher
parls of the building nor w'll it place
the state library, worth $500,000, under
conditions which will lessen the
chances of fire, but they are afraid
to spend the money necessary to pro
tect life and property, and so stick
to the plan of a repaired wing in
order to save sonic money. .
Much Money Spent. N
More than $70,000 has been poured
into repairs and improvements to the
state house in the last few years. The
building was discovered sonic years
ago to be too small to bouse the of
fices. A great deal of money was spent
to fit up offices in the basement for
the railway commission, the normal
board, the rooms now used by the
board of control, the insurance de
partment and some others. This was
found insufl'tcient and the fourth
floor of the building was remodeled
and fitted up in hopes to help the
situation. Rut the fourth Hoor rooms,
under the tin roof, are too hot for
occupacy in the summer and too cold
in the winter.
Attempts have been made to repair
the roof so it would not leak, but the
roof slrll continues to leak and prop
erty of the state is rapidly going to
the bad becaus'C of the constant drip
ping of water, either from rains ill the
summer or from the melting snow al
other times. There) is not a window
on the north side of the entire build
ing that doesn't let in the snow in
drifts whenever there is a snow-storm,
even with storm windows on.
Constant Expense.
It costs the state over $3,000 a year
to light the building because of the
narrow dark corridors and the insuf
ficiently lighted offices, many of which
are compelled to keep the lights burn
ing even on the brightest days.
According to aiwslimate made bv
those who have investigated the mat
ter, it wond not cost the average man
with property worth $10,000 more
than the pay of a legislator for one
day for the necessary period of
years needed to raise the amount
necessary 'to erect a new slafc'hotise.
This would be about $1.50 a year.
Spanish Style of Home
Is Popular in Omaha!
Applications arc already coming in
to the Metropolitan Realty company
for reservations of apartments1 in the
St. Regis apartment house, being
built at Thirty-seventh and Jones
streets. The work is now being push
ed with all possible speed since the
weather has moderated a little.
' The St. Regis is to be a handsome
structure from the outside view as
well as inside. The Spanish renais
sance style oi architecture is to be
carried out in detail. A lily pond, a
fountain, shrubbery and miniature
trees all within the "U" shaped court
yard, will help to carry out the Span
ish suggestion.
i CAPTAIN TELLS OF
: - SINKING OF BOAT
t
i Commander of the American
j jSchooner Lyman M. Law
Details Experiences.
SUBSEA CHIEF HESITATES
s Cjviavrrchia Italy, Feb. 18.
Captain McDonougli, commander of
the American schooner Lyman M.
Law. which was sunk by a submarine,
with the members of bis crew has ar
rived here aboard an Italian steamer.
He was met by I'nitcd Stales Consul
Tredwell ami several newspaper cor
respondents. In describing the destruction of his
ship, Captain McDonough said they.
were sailing peacefully, along, when
they heard a cannon shot. About five
miles distant they obsorvercd a sub
marine, which was not flying a na
tional Hag, but had hoisted a signal
w ith the letter "H," which in the inter
national code mcans'halt." This was
9 o'clock in the morning and the Law,
obeying the injunction stopped. The
submarine approached with tw'O guns
showing. .
-Captain McDonough, undisturbed,
as be already had been visited several
tints by submarines, prepared to show
his papers, but all on his ship were or
dered to go aboanl the submarine,
where they were interrogated' by an
officer, apparently the commander.
According to Captain McDonough,
this officer had all the physical char
acteristics of the German race.
Papers Examined.
The master of the Law showed his
papers; which were examined, and
described bis cargo, which meanwhile
bad been inspected by another officer.
Captain McDonough was then per
mitted to return aboard his ship and
was allowed to proceed. The ship
had scarcely moved when the subma
rine again stopped it, the commander
of the underwater boat declaring
through the megaphone that he con
sidered that the cargo, which was con
signed to an Italian firm was contra
band. He ordered the captain and
crew to quit the Lyman M. Law,
which he said nipst be destroyed. The
submarine gave them time to take
to the water in their own launch with
a supply of gasoline and food, and il
was indicated to them that it would
be advisable to follow a certain route
to reach Cagliari. The submarine com
mander then removed a quantity of
gasoline and food from the American
ship as well as some instruments.
Salutes Vessel.
The steamer launch with Captaiu
McDonough and his crew aboard,
hoisted' the American flag and, saluted
the vessel when it was blown up ajrd
left turning. The ship's papers were
retained by the submarine ' com
mander. Consul Tredwell and the American
embassy at Rome, arc making an in
vestigation with respect to whether
the cargo can be considered contra
band. In the evidence given before
the consul. Captain McDonough ex
pressed the opinion that the subma
rine decided to seize and sink the
Law, with a view to taking its sup
plies aboard his own boat. In fact, the
captain said after having given the
Ship permission to continue its jour
ney there was a twenty-minute discus
sion between the commander and an
other officer of the submarine before
the final decision was taken.
Mr. and Mrs, Casey
Wedded Fifty-Five
Years Ago in Ireland
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Casey, pio
neer; residents i of Omaha, observed
their liftyfifth wedding anniversary
with a celebration at the Nonpareil
Athletic club Saturday night. About
.1110 persons, 100 of whom arc rela
tives of the couple, attended the cele
bration. Mr. and Mrs. Casey were married
in Ireland, but came to America and
to Omaha while still a young couple.
Mr. Casey was the proprietor ot he
ci-..:.. I I.1..U ...... n..l..
niuvill imusc, wimii was uic viu.,.
large hotel in Omaha at the time and
which stood on the site now occupied
by J'axton & Gallagher. In the early
days Mr. Casey was reputed to be
Omaha s wealthiest citizen.
Three sons and two daughters, the
onlv survivors of fourteen children
attended the celclfration, as did sixty
grandchildren and some thirty more
of more distant relationship. The
three sons arc I honias Casey, jr.
John Casey and V. H. Casey, all of
Omaha. Mrs. Hannah Fahey and
Mrs. B. J. Hargcn are the daughters.
Oneaif the features ot the celenra
lion was a dance given by three Irish
lassies who came to America less
than three months ago. In addition
there was a luncheon, music and
dancing. '
Mr.' and Mrs. Casey reside at 2007
Atwood avenue, an avenue only a
block long and ofttimes referred to
as "Casey" avenue.
Many Members Backing
Anti-Cigarette Measure
(jrrory a Htarf' CorroHpondnnt.)
Lincoln, Feb. 18. (Special.) Much
interest is developing among the
members of the legislature in the Dor-sey-N'cff
cigarette bill now before the
lower"body and which will probably
come up for consideration soon;
The bill is favored by many, because
it hits at smoking by minors. The
state has had on its statute books
for years laws prohibiting the sale
and smoking of cigaretts by any per
son, hut the law has never been en
forced or any attempt made to en
force it, because it appeared to. be
the general belief that if a grown
man desired to use tobacco in cigar
ette form it was his own business and
nobody bad a right to deny him that
right.
Under the proposed Dorsey-Neff
bill any minor smoking them may be
arrested.
-". . -
WILSON MAY ASK
AUTH0R1TYT0ACT
TO DEFEND SHIPS
President Sees Senators and
Is Understood to Be Consid
ering Making, Request
for More Power.
SITUATION IS - UNCHANGED
Continued Holding of American
- Vessels in Ports Constitutes
Crave Situation.
BERNE MESSAGE GRATIFIES
Wsahington, Feb. 18. The advhs
ability of going, before congress .beL."
fore the end of the present session,
March 4, to make certain -that he be
clothed with sufficient power to pro
tect American lives and property from
German submarine activities was dis.
cussed by President Wilson yesterday
w ith members of the senate whom he
called into conference during a brief
visit to the capitol.
Afterward it was indicated the pres
ident had not made up his mind on
the question, but had such a step un
der consideration, because of the pos
sibility that after adjournment some
sudden emergency might arise neces
sitating action before congress could
be called together again. . 1 -
The suggestion was made that con
gress might be asked to pass a broad
resolution, authorizing the president
to take any necessary measures for
protection of American rights and
avoiding specific stipulations as to
how the protection should be afforded.
It was indicated that Mr. Wilson
remained as anxious as ever to avoid
war and that he gave no suggestion '
that a declaration of war, which, con
gress alone can make, is -even con
sidered by him at present in connec
tion with the possibility of a request
for additional authority n
The general feeling here has been
that Germany's submarine campaign
sooner or later will lead inevitably to
such a violation of American rights '
as will require the further action fore
casted by the president in his address
to congress two weeks ago. The
president! is understood to feel, how
ever, that when the time comes, the
solution outlined in that address
should be followed out literally, and
the steps taken should constitute an :
extension of further protection to
American interests rather than a dec
laration of war v
Gratified by Messages. "
Officials were much gratified at, a
message from Berne today saying the
American consuls remaining in Ger
many, fof whom seme concern has
been felt, would depart early next
week, but there was no evidence that
the development would lessen to an
appreciable degree the tension be
tween the two countries. It has been
pointed out that the overshadowing
issue is the German submarine cam
paign and that any other controversy
must be considered as of minor conse
quences. There also was much gratification
here over a report from Ambassador
Elkus . saying that Turkey was ar
ranging to facilitate the departure of
the sevetal hundred American refu
gees at Beirut. Officials. regarded the
news as an indication that the Otto
man government was disposed not to
break with the United States if it
could be avoided. There were n'o de
velopments during the day in the
situation with Austria, but some offi
cials now are hopeful that the break
with Germany will not be extended to
any of its allies. , . s
Not More Immediate.
President Wilson's visit to the capi
tol is understood to have been pri
marily for the purpose of discussing
with senators the legislative program
and to urge passage of various admin-
istration bill during the remaining
two weeks of the session. With most
of the senators seen he did not talk
of the foreign situation and the im
pression gained ground among some
of them that he did not consider the
emergency any more immediate than
he did several days ago. It is known,
on the other hand, that the continued
holding of many vessels in port has
come to be looked upon here as a con
dition for which some remedy must
be found.
If the president decides to go be
fore congress again before the -end
of the present session lie is expected t
tO point IU U1IS LUIIUIUUII u, snipping. -
Senator Simmons of the senate
finance committee was one of the
senators who talked with the presi
dent today and as a result it is under
stood that in case congressional ac
tion is found advisable a provision for
necessary expenditures will also be
made."
Calls on Baker. j
Just before going to the capitol the.
president paid-a brief visit to Secre
tary Baker at he War department,
and, while it was thought possible
that they discussed universal military
training, the secretary would make no
statement.. 1 .
State department officials character
ized as very friendly the. communica
tion from Constantinople concerning
the Americans at Beirut.
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